Canada is in deficit. But it’s not just the federal budget.

Our military is in disrepair, with dangerously low capacity to execute its core missions. Our industrial productive capacity has decayed significantly over the past three decades. Our overall economic health has taken significant blows, making it more difficult to address long term state capacity challenges.

Internationally, Canada has become a diplomatic minnow of sorts. Yes, we contribute to a basketful of disparate activities abroad. But our engagement spreads our resources thinly across a range of areas and problems, eschewing prioritization of core interests over peripheral ones. What has been the result of this penny-packeting of our strength and resources, contributing a little bit to everything? Low expectations and respect by allies